DoorDash Buys Instacart, Singles Day Incrementality Debate

DoorDash just paid $17 billion for the retail media business it couldn't build — and with Singles Day live, a sharp new analysis asks whether brands are buying real growth or renting it. Two stories every ecommerce professional needs today. In this episode: DoorDash acquired Instacart for $17 billion, instantly gaining access to one of the most mature retail media ad networks in US grocery commerce — a business DoorDash had failed to build organically. A new analysis questions how much of Singles Day's massive revenue is truly incremental for brands, warning that ad tech platforms profit regardless of whether campaigns generate new customers or simply discount existing ones. Gutsy, a DTC dog food brand that started as a student project, is targeting 33 million meals across Europe by competing on transparent recipes and local production in one of the continent's fastest-growing subscription ecommerce categories. The Digital Commerce Daily is a concise briefing for ecommerce, retail media and digital commerce professionals, hosted by Marco & Klara. New episode every day. Enjoying the show? A quick rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other marketers find us. Also from Marco & Klara: The FMCG Marketing Daily · The Health Marketing Daily